News

Jay Choi, UNI APRO and Lee Hang-Ku, chairman of UNI-KLC met with NUMW and Jinjoo Medical center union members who have been on strike now for 49 days, since mid-February. Their struggle is to keep an important hospital open, Jinjoo Medical Center. Their case was presented to UNI delegates to the re-launch of UNICARE in March 2013.



Jinjoo Medical Center is newly renovated with modern medical equipment and facility. Closing it down makes no sense economically or socially. In a courageous effort to underscore the critical nature of this decision, two women union activists of Jinjoo Medical Center have been on a hunger strike, for three weeks, as of April 15.



Sister Yoo Ji-Hyun, KHMU president said, "Jinjoo Medical Center Struggle must be won, and we are making a good environment to talk about the value of public hospitals for ordinary people."



Bro. Lee Hang-Ku, chairman of UNI-KLC delivered a supporting speech saying that public health care services are also important for people like a postal services. He emphasized their support for NUMW and importance of wining this fight for the workers but also the community.

As the negotiation between the union and the local government broke down, Jinjoo Medical Center union president and one KCTU union activist climbed up to the iron-tower on the Kyungsangnamdo local government office building to protest the adoption of the bill to close down Jinjoo Medical Center on Thursday, April 18. Protesting rallies are staged as a candle light vigil in the evening of April 16, at Kwanghwamoon area, downtown Seoul.



Today Thursday, April 18, is the defininf moment - whether the bill to close down the Center will be adopted or not. Minister of Health & Welfare, Jin Young, expressed his concerns about the closure of Jinjoo Medical Center during talks with Hong Joon-Pyo, governor of Kyungsangnamdo Province.